After sitting in the plan3 for a good 2 hours in ATL (first needed a new “battery pack” then a weather delay) it was great to get off the ground. I went to sleep before the dessert was served having watched most of Iron Maiden and not feeling compelled to finish it.
I think I slept about 4 hours though before it was breakfast and we were only about an hour from Rome.
We got a bunch of euros from the ATM/Bancomat at the airport and our driver (arranged by the apartment management) had my name on his iPad screen along with a big welcoming smile. It was a pretty long drive, lots of traffic at 9 in the morning but we made it into the apartment. To let us off, he parked right in between the vegetable stands on Campo dei Fiori and the door to the building is just next door to the “Pig heaven” place Antica Norcenria Viola.
We check into the apartment learning how to work the washing machine and the wi fi. and Here we were with still a full day in front of us. First objective was to go grocery shopping. But first “due caffe” at the Bar Farnese just around the corner. SO wonderful to have real Italian coffee again. We walked to a smallish all-purpose store just a few blocks away and neither one of us could focus enough to really shop logically. We just got a very few basics and strolled back home by way of the nearly empty Piazza Navona. All this time it’s been drizzling off and on. When we are nearly home we stopped at the bakery right here, Il fornaio, and Ken got a couple of nice rolls and I got a delicious piece of spinach torte with ricotta and we made our first foray into the pork heaven. We got some salame tartufo, speck, and tradtional prosciutto. And I went out into the market and bought a bunch of very pretty arugala. There was lunch.
My sweet friend Colleen K from Boston had loaned me her Italian cell phone but we couldn’t get it to work. So after we took naps, read and tried to clear our jet lagged heads, we set out to find a Voda Phone store. We found one right near Piazza Navona and, affter a long visit with the cute guy there (does anyone else notice that the phone stores always employ cute Italian men and not so nice women??) we had to get a new SIM card–no big deal except I know colleen really worked hard to maintain this one and had some money in it.
Then we just decided to wonder in out customary way. We found ourselves on Via Condotti where all the designer shops are and I had fun window shopping. We hung around the Spanish Steps for a while and walked and walked some more while the rain was becoming a reality and we were having to use our umbrellas all the time.

Finally around 7:00 we both were tired and hungry. I though to look for a wine bar for a glass of wine and some snacks. We used our EatRome app but since there is no internet on Ken’s phone we got lost trying to find Ditrambo which I thought we were very near. Finally we went into Osteria Pistoia–a contemporary looking place with a chalk board menu. We had 2 glasses of prosecco and the wonderful little “spuntini” complementary snacks. Realizing how wet and tired and lost we really were we decided to just stay there, this lowly place which is not on any of my highly recommended lists. And we were really glad we did. Ken got a plate of pasta Amatriciana which was wonderful if quirky by using the large “rotelle pazze” and I asked for a cooked vegetable plate.

It was just perfect for me. We also each had a glass of vino rosso (Chianti) and our tab was 38euro.
Finally we made it home, quickly having gotten directions in the restaurant.
I am us early this morning listening to the sounds of the set up out on the Campo. Lovely!
Here’s what it looked like yesterday afternoon during the clean up time: